Danäe
Calvaert was first apprenticed to the landscape painter Christian van den Queborne (b.1515). In common with other Flemish artists he then left his home country to continue his training in Italy. Never to return, Calvaert spent most of the rest of his life in Bologna. Danäe is a rare example of a mythological work by Calvaert who painted mostly religious subjects. In Greek legend, Danäe, a mortal princess, was seduced by Jupiter, King of the Gods, disguised as a shower of gold. The Danäe theme was particularly popular with Renaissance and Baroque artists because of its sexual and emotional overtones. Calvaert's inclusion of the draped figure of Danäe is perhaps more subtle, since he crowds his composition with secondary figures to great theatrical effect, taking some of the attention off the central character. Danäe's body, however, does represent the erotic ideal of the age, with her elegant limbs, pert breasts and gently swelling stomach. These features are heightened by her exaggerated pose. The coat of arms in the right hand corner of the canvas is evidence that this picture was painted for Jacob Arnold, Captain of the Papal Swiss Guards.
